Concern surrounding the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 influenza virus currently circulating in dairy cows in the United States is growing. A total of 58 human cases have been reported as of ...

Unique mutations in the H5N1 strain enhance replication in human cells and cause severe disease in mice. The virus has spread from birds to mammals, including dairy cows, and infected humans, with one ...

A new study has raised alarm bells about the potential for the H5N1 bird flu virus to evolve into a strain sparking a human pandemic. A single mutation in the virus currently ravaging dairy farms ...

The genetic mutations that have been studied the most are those that have been linked to human disease, but what about mutations that provide some benefit? Researchers have now identified mutations ...

The human genome is contained in the nucleus of almost every cell in the body. But those cells also contain multitudes of mitochondria, and these incredible little power-generating organelles carry ...

California researchers say the world may be just one genetic tweak away from human-to-human transmission of the H5N1 bird flu virus – a worrisome mutation that could open the door to widespread human ...

Helen Branswell covers issues broadly related to infectious diseases, including outbreaks, preparedness, research, and vaccine development. Follow her on Mastodon and Bluesky. You can reach Helen on ...

In a recent study published in Nature Biotechnology, researchers explored the causes of cancer by mapping somatic mutation rates across the human genome. Study: Genome-wide mapping of somatic mutation ...

A common human gene mutation combination—found in about 5% of the U.K.'s Black population as well as millions of people worldwide with recent African ancestry—has been linked to a number of health ...

Scientists have found a mutation in our DNA that snipped our tails off. The mutation may have allowed our ancestors to walk upright. But it may also be behind a birth defect that still affects babies ...